Microelectromechanical systems encapsulation process

ABSTRACT

An encapsulated MEMS process including a high-temperature anti-stiction coating that is stable under processing steps at temperatures over 450 C is described. The coating is applied after device release but before sealing vents in the encapsulation layer. Alternatively, an anti-stiction coating may be applied to released devices directly before encapsulation.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/454,867 (patent application publication number US 2004/0248344 A1)incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates generally to microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)fabrication processes. In particular it relates to encapsulated MEMSfabrication with improved anti-stiction properties.

BACKGROUND

“Microelectromechanical systems” (MEMS) refers broadly to small,mechanical devices constructed using techniques traditionally associatedwith integrated circuit wafer processing. In microelectronics, circuitsare fabricated on semiconductor wafers upon which minute features aredefined by building up and etching back regions of materials withspecific electronic properties. Tremendous progress has been made overthe past 30 years in making circuits smaller, from the millimeter scaleto the micrometer scale to today's nanometer scale features.

Tools for semiconductor processing have become more widely available asthe microelectronics industry has matured and that has helped createopportunities for microfabrication of new mechanical devices. Thesemicroelectromechanical systems (MEMS) include miniaturized gears,levers, cantilevers, springs, etc. However, physical scaling laws showthat mechanical devices on a micro scale can operate quite differentlyfrom their everyday cousins and have vastly superior performance in somerespects. In other words, they are not simply smaller, but alsodifferent. (See, for example, Kurt Petersen, “Silicon as a MechanicalMaterial”, Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 70, No. 5, May 1982, pages420-457.)

Perhaps the most important feature defining MEMS in contrast tomicroelectronics is that MEMS may contain moving parts. In most cases,such as MEMS accelerometers or MEMS oscillators, the moving parts mustbe protected from the environment. A recent advance in MEMS technologyis the development of techniques for wafer-level encapsulation ofmechanical structures. Encapsulation provides for not only protection ofthe mechanical components but also for direct integration withelectronic devices in the wafer.

A promising encapsulation technique is described by Partridge, et al. in“Microelectromechanical systems, and methods for encapsulating andfabricating same,” US Patent Application Publication US 2004/0248344 A1,incorporated herein by reference. Partridge discloses, in part, athin-film polysilicon encapsulation process that can increase the diecount on a wafer by nearly an order of magnitude without a correspondingincrease in cost. This technique is showing utility for ofmicromechanical resonators but has yet to be fully applied to structuresthat are more likely to come into contact like accelerometers.

Industry experience suggests that accelerometers require anti-stictioncoatings for full functionality. An anti-stiction coating preventssilicon surfaces from creating a temporary or permanent bond (stiction)if they touch. Parts in a MEMS accelerometer sometimes come into contactwith each other. It is important that they not stick together otherwisethe function of the device is ruined. Organic films have been used asanti-stiction coatings in conventional MEMS processes. These films arerarely capable of withstanding process temperatures above about 450 C,however.

The final stages of recent and successful encapsulation methods involveprocesses at temperatures of at least 450 C and often as high as 800 Cor above. No suitable organic film anti-stiction coating has been foundthat is compatible with these processes. Therefore what is needed is amethod of incorporating a high-temperature anti-stiction film in amodern encapsulation process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B show schematically layers in encapsulated MEMS devicesafter a vapor-phase etch but before final sealing.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematically layers in the encapsulated MEMSdevices of FIGS. 1A and 1B after deposition of a thin, high-temperatureanti-stiction coating.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show schematically layers in the encapsulated MEMSdevices of FIGS. 2A and 2B after an anisotropic etch.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show schematically layers in the encapsulated MEMSdevices of FIGS. 3A and 3B after sealing.

FIGS. 5A and 5B show schematically layers in MEMS devices with ananti-stiction coating applied after initial active layer fabrication.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A method for incorporating a high-temperature anti-stiction film in aMEMS encapsulation process is described. The method is illustrated for aprocess that uses a low-temperature oxide seal (FIGS. 1A-4A) and for aprocess that uses an epitaxial seal (FIGS. 1B-4B). An alternativeembodiment of the method is illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

In this application “layers” comprise materials formed in sheetssubstantially parallel to a flat substrate. In contrast “coatings” or“films” comprise materials that are applied to surfaces that may lie atarbitrary angles to a substrate including parallel or perpendicular toit.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show schematically layers in encapsulated MEMS devicesafter a vapor-phase etch but before final sealing. Processes leading tothe creation of structures such as those shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B areexplained in Partridge (“Microelectromechanical systems, and methods forencapsulating and fabricating same,” US Patent Application PublicationUS 2004/0248344 A1) and Candler (“Single Wafer Encapsulation of MEMSDevices,” IEEE Transactions on Advanced Packaging, Vol. 26, No. 3,August 2003, pages 227-232) both of which are incorporated herein byreference. In FIGS. 1A and 1B formation of an active layer, patterningof a first seal layer and release have all been completed.

In FIG. 1A layer 105 is a substrate such as a silicon wafer. Clearlyother substrate materials such as germanium or III-V materials may bedesirable for certain applications. Layer 110 is a buried insulator(normally oxide) layer. Layer 115 is the device layer and normallyconsists of single- or poly-crystalline epitaxial silicon; however,other materials are possible just as for substrate 105. Substrate 105and layers 110 and 115 may be conveniently provided in the form of asilicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. SOI wafers created by either buriedoxide implants or wafer bonding techniques are widely available.

Layer 120 is a sacrificial spacer layer normally consisting of silicondioxide. Layer 125 is an epitaxial film deposited as an initialencapsulation step. Layer 125, which is commonly an epitaxial siliconfilm, is patterned to provide vent trenches such as vent 145. Devicessuch as 135 and 140 in device layer 115 have been released typically bydry etching sacrificial layers 110 and 120. In a typical scenario layers110 and 120 consist of silicon dioxide which may be etched with an HFvapor etch. Layer 130 is a buried polysilicon layer which serves as anelectrical interconnect for MEMS devices.

In FIG. 1B layer 155 is a substrate such as a silicon wafer. Layer 160is a buried insulator (normally oxide) layer. Layer 165 is the devicelayer and normally consists of single- or poly-crystalline epitaxialsilicon; however, other materials are possible just as for substrate155. Layers 155, 160 and 165 are often provided as an SOI wafer asmentioned above.

Layer 170 is a sacrificial spacer layer normally consisting of silicondioxide. Layer 175 is an epitaxial film deposited as an initialencapsulation step. Film 175, which is commonly an epitaxial siliconfilm, is patterned to provide vent trenches such as vent 195. Devicessuch as 185 in device layer 165 have been released by dry etchingsacrificial layers 160 and 170. In a typical scenario layers 160 and 170consist of silicon dioxide which may be etched with an HF vapor etch.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show schematically layers in the encapsulated MEMSdevices of FIGS. 1A and 1B after deposition of a thin anti-stictioncoating. In FIGS. 2A and 2B heavy line 205 and 210 represents ananti-stiction film coating that is stable at high temperatures.Typically the film is between about 1 nm and 200 nm thick. It may evenbe thicker if no other characteristics of the device are compromised. Apreferred anti-stiction film is silicon carbide (SiC) deposited in alow-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) process or plasmaenhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process but sputter-depositedceramic films such as aluminum nitride are also acceptable. These filmsare stable under subsequent processing steps at temperatures above 450 Cand even as hot as 1100 C and above. For purposes of this application,any anti-stiction coating that maintains its anti-stiction propertieseven after being heated to temperatures greater than 450 C is a“high-temperature” anti-stiction coating.

SiC films may be deposited by LPCVD at around 800 C using precursor1,3-disilabutane in a hot-wall reactor. See, for example, “SiliconCarbide for Enhanced MEMS Reliability,” D. Gao, et al., Proceedings ofthe 2004 Sensors and Actuators Workshop, Hilton Head, S.C., 2004,incorporated herein by reference. A feature of the anti-stiction film isthat it is an electrical insulator. A conductive film would create shortcircuits which could render the MEMS inoperable.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show schematically layers in the encapsulated MEMSdevices of FIGS. 2A and 2B after an anisotropic etch. The purpose of theetch is to remove the anti-stiction film 205 or 210 to expose at leastpart of surface 305 or 310 to facilitate further processing and allowfor electrical contacts to the underlying structures. The etch can be areactive process such as hydrogen bromide reactive ion etching or aphysical process such as ion milling in an argon plasma. There areseveral other options for the etch chemistry such as HCl, CF₄+O₂,SF₆+O₂, NF₃ (+O₂), or C₂F₆. An anisotropic etch removes the portion offilm 205 or 210 exposed on the top of the wafer while leaving theanti-stiction coating intact on internal surface such as the surface ofdevices 135, 140 and 185.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show schematically layers in the encapsulated MEMSdevices of FIGS. 3A and 3B after sealing. Sealing is the process ofclosing up vents such as vents 145 and 195 in FIGS. 3A and 3B. In FIG.4A layer 405 is a deposited low-temperature oxide layer while in FIG. 4Blayer 410 is an epitaxially grown silicon layer. When an epitaxialsilicon layer is used as a seal as illustrated in FIG. 4B, a film ofsilicon will be deposited over the anti-stiction coating on internalparts of the MEMS. The coating may retain its anti-stiction properties,however. Maintaining the anti-stiction properties after redeposition ofSi may be enhanced by depositing carbon-rich SiC films as anti-stictioncoatings. Supported by the high temperatures during the epitaxialsealing process, diffusion will lead to the forming of carbide betweenthe excess carbon in the anti-stiction coating and the extra depositedSi. Hence, even if extra Si has been deposited, it will form SiC againafter the high temperature treatment and thus again support theanti-stiction properties. Anti-stiction coatings increase the stiffnessof the surface to which they are applied thereby decreasing the localcompliance. A thin silicon overcoat should preserve this behavior. Onthe other hand low temperature oxide sealing avoids these complicationsand is therefore preferred if silicon overcoating presents a problem.Further, SiC itself may be used as the layer sealing the vents to avoidovercoating problems.

It is also possible to deposit and pattern an anti-stiction film afterfabrication of the active device layer but before deposition of anencapsulation layer. FIGS. 5A and 5B show schematically layers in MEMSdevices with an anti-stiction coating applied at this point. FIGS. 5Aand 5B represent the structures depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B but at anearlier stage of processing.

In FIG. 5A layer 105 is a substrate such as a silicon wafer. Clearlyother substrate materials such as germanium or III-V materials may bedesirable for certain applications. Layer 110 is a buried insulator(normally oxide) layer. Layer 115 is the device layer and normallyconsists of single- or poly-crystalline epitaxial silicon; however,other materials are possible just as for substrate 105. Substrate 105and layers 110 and 115 may be conveniently provided in the form of asilicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. SOI wafers created by either buriedoxide implants or wafer bonding techniques are widely available. Layer130 is a buried polysilicon layer which serves as an electricalinterconnect for MEMS devices. Items 135 and 140 are released MEMSdevices.

In FIG. 5B layer 155 is a substrate such as a silicon wafer. Layer 160is a buried insulator (normally oxide) layer. Layer 165 is the devicelayer and normally consists of single- or poly-crystalline epitaxialsilicon; however, other materials are possible just as for substrate155. Layers 155, 160 and 165 are often provided as an SOI wafer asmentioned above. Item 185 is a released MEMS device.

In the scenario shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B the anti-stiction film isapplied to the device layer directly. An anisotropic etch then removesthe film from exposed surfaces but does not attack the sides of MEMSdevices (e.g. devices 135, 140, 185). The vertical sidewalls of a deviceare most likely to experience stiction in the absence of ananti-stiction coating. Device processing proceeds conventionally afterthis point as described in Partridge or Candler.

For example, a sacrificial layer would then be deposited and followed bya conventional multi-step sealing process. This approach requires goodcontrol over the anisotropy of the anti-stiction-film etch. Thesubsequent redeposition and etching of a sacrificial film may affect theanti-stiction properties of the anti-stiction film.

As one skilled in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure ofthe embodiments herein, processes, machines, manufacture, means,methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed thatperform substantially the same function or achieve substantially thesame result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may beutilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appendedclaims are intended to include within their scope such processes,machines, manufacture, means, methods, or steps.

While the systems and methods described herein have been described inconnection with what are presently considered to be the most practicaland preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the systems andmethods are not limited to the disclosed embodiments and alternatives asset forth above, but on the contrary is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope ofthe following claims.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including,but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number alsoinclude the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, thewords “herein,” “hereunder,” “above,” “below,” and words of similarimport refer to this application as a whole and not to any particularportions of this application. When the word “or” is used in reference toa list of two or more items, that word covers all of the followinginterpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of theitems in the list and any combination of the items in the list.

The above description of illustrated embodiments of the systems andmethods is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the systems andmethods to the precise form disclosed. While specific embodiments of,and examples for, the systems and methods are described herein forillustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possiblewithin the scope of the systems and methods, as those skilled in therelevant art will recognize. The teachings of the systems and methodsprovided herein can be applied to other systems and methods, not onlyfor the systems and methods described above.

The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can becombined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can bemade to the systems and methods in light of the above detaileddescription.

Each publication, patent, and/or patent application mentioned in thisspecification is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to thesame extent as if each individual publication and/or patent applicationwas specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated byreference.

In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not beconstrued to limit the systems and methods to the specific embodimentsdisclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construedto include all systems that operate under the claims. Accordingly, thesystems and methods are not limited by the disclosure, but instead thescope of the systems and methods are to be determined entirely by theclaims.

1. A process for making a MEMS device comprising: providing on asubstrate an encapsulated MEMS structure comprising a released devicelayer and a vented cap layer; depositing a high-temperatureanti-stiction coating on the MEMS structure, wherein the anti-stictioncoating is a film of carbon-rich silicon carbide; removing at least partof an exposed top layer of the anti-stiction coating; and, sealing thestructure.
 2. The process of claim 1 wherein the anti-stiction coatingis a film of carbon-rich silicon carbide between about one nanometer andtwo hundred nanometers thick.
 3. A process for making a MEMS devicecomprising: providing on a substrate an encapsulated MEMS structurecomprising a released device layer and a vented cap layer; depositing ahigh-temperature anti-stiction coating on the MEMS structure, whereinthe anti-stiction coating is a film of aluminum nitride; removing atleast part of an exposed top layer of the anti-stiction coating; and,sealing the structure.
 4. The process of claim 1 wherein the removingthe exposed top layer is accomplished by a hydrogen bromide reactive ionetch.
 5. The process of claim 1 wherein the removing the exposed toplayer is accomplished by ion milling in an argon plasma.
 6. The processof claim 1 wherein the device layer and substrate are fabricated from asilicon-on-insulator wafer.
 7. The process of claim 1 wherein sealingthe structure is accomplished by deposition of low temperature oxide. 8.The process of claim 1 wherein sealing the structure is accomplished byepitaxial growth of silicon.
 9. A process for making a MEMS devicecomprising: providing on a substrate a MEMS structure comprising areleased device layer; depositing a high-temperature anti-stictioncoating on the MEMS structure, wherein the anti-stiction coating is afilm of carbon-rich silicon carbide; removing part of an exposed toplayer of the anti-stiction coating; and, encapsulating the structure.10. The process of claim 9 wherein the anti-stiction coating is a filmof carbon-rich silicon carbide between about one nanometer and twohundred nanometers thick.
 11. A process for making a MEMS devicecomprising: providing on a substrate a MEMS structure comprising areleased device layer; depositing a high-temperature anti-stictioncoating on the MEMS structure, wherein the anti-stiction coating is afilm of aluminum nitride; removing part of an exposed top layer of theanti-stiction coating; and, encapsulating the structure.
 12. The processof claim 9 wherein the removing the exposed top layer is accomplished bya hydrogen bromide reactive ion etch.
 13. The process of claim 9 whereinthe removing the exposed top layer is accomplished by ion milling in anargon plasma.
 14. The process of claim 9 wherein the device layer andsubstrate are fabricated from a silicon-on-insulator wafer.
 15. Theprocess of claim 9 wherein encapsulating the structure is accomplishedby epitaxial growth of silicon.
 16. A process for making a MEMS devicecomprising: providing on a substrate a MEMS structure comprising areleased device layer; depositing a high-temperature anti-stictioncoating that includes a thickness of about 1 nm to about 200 nm on theMEMS structure, wherein the anti-stiction coating is a film ofcarbon-rich silicon carbide; removing part of an exposed top layer ofthe anti-stiction coating; and, encapsulating the structure.
 17. Theprocess of claim 16 wherein the anti-stiction coating is a film ofcarbon-rich silicon carbide.
 18. A process for making a MEMS devicecomprising: providing on a substrate a MEMS structure comprising areleased device layer; depositing a high-temperature anti-stictioncoating that includes a thickness of about 1 nm to about 200 nm on theMEMS structure, wherein the anti-stiction coating is a film of aluminumnitride; removing part of an exposed top layer of the anti-stictioncoating; and, encapsulating the structure.
 19. A process for making aMEMS device comprising: providing on a substrate a MEMS structurecomprising a released device layer; depositing a high-temperatureanti-stiction coating on the MEMS structure, wherein the anti-stictioncoating is one of a film of carbon-rich silicon carbide and aluminumnitride; removing part of an exposed top layer of the anti-stictioncoating; and, encapsulating the structure.
 20. The process of claim 19wherein the anti-stiction coating is between about one nanometer and twohundred nanometers thick.
 21. The process of claim 19 whereinencapsulating the structure is accomplished by epitaxial growth ofsilicon.